Love and Life with Dr. Karin and Pastor Elliott
Love & Life is your place for conversations grounded in psych research, psychotherapy, and Biblical truth to help you THRIVE in love and life! Join psychologist Karin Anderson Abrell, Ph.D. and pastor and psychotherapist Elliott Anderson, M.A., as they focus on relationships and how to flourish therein with a holistic approach to emotional and psychological well-being, recognizing we only thrive when we nourish each of these key domains—Mind, Body, and Spirit. Together they bring over 60 years of counseling experience and academic expertise to each podcast discussion and interview.
Episodes
Estranged. Cut off. Disengaged.
Whatever you want to call it—it’s trending! Going “no contact” has become so ubiquitous Oprah covered it in a recent podcast episode, Mel Robbins just wrote a NY Times article about it, and it’s the subject of several books and thousands of TikToks.
What’s going on? Why are so many adult children cutting off their parents and families?
Is Going No Contact a difficult, yet imperative, decisio...
We’ve been in a series about how we handle family dynamics during the holidays. In past episodes, we’ve talked about staying present vs. distracted, connected vs. isolated, all while staying authentic to who we are as individuals. Today, we continue the conversation with some practical strategies for dealing with these conflicts.
- What do we do if a family member continues to make jabs at us (no, not that jab!)?
- How do family sys...
Today we have Liz James from Blessed By His Blood on the podcast to discuss the ways in which the blood donation industry isn’t everything most of us thought it was. As it turns out, there is a lot of money involved, and as with most things, everything is not as it seems. In response to this, Liz started Blessed By His Blood after she felt God leading her in a new direction in the wake of 2020.
We hope today’s conversation will inf...
Today we have some listeners questions related to navigating the complexities of family and relational dynamics during the holidays.
- How do we relate with family members who are takers?
- How do we grieve well with those who are experiencing grief during the holidays?
Elliott shares tools and practical tips for how to navigate givers and takers in family relationships, the importance of self-reflection, and how to emb...
I connected with React 19 at the Children’s Health Defense Conference in Austin earlier this month.
I wanted to invite some of its members to share their stories of COVID shot injuries.
To this day, most of the public is unaware of the horrific adverse events many people experienced when doing the “right thing” by taking the “vaccine” during COVID.
Doctors ignored their conditions or claimed they were psychosomatic. Insu...
With the holidays upon us, Dr. Karin and Pastor Elliott delve into the complexities of family dynamics during the holiday season. They explore the challenges that arise when families gather during the holidays and offer various perspective shifts we can have to move through those challenges. From navigating estranged relationships to embracing the joy and tension of holiday traditions.
- How do we navigate triggering family dy...
Karin got to attend the Children's Health Defense Conference in Texas last week and got to meet Love & Life favorite Dave Wayne for the first time IRL!
On today's episode, Karin and Dave review the conference and the key takeaways from speakers— many of whom are fighting these issues on the front lines of our culture.
They also discuss the concerns so many of us have regarding the physical, emotional, and mental...
We are tackling a topic today that is currently revolutionizing every aspect of the world around us: A.I. Specifically, we are looking at how A.I. is impacting our most sacred connections as human beings in our relationships.
- How do we as human beings engage with this new artificial reality that we find ourselves in?
- What are the implications on our faith, relationships, and the very psychology of our humanity?
- What are we ...
Today’s episode was recorded just days before Charlie Kirk was murdered back in September. We decided not to post it after his death as we were all in shock and grieving after the events that took place. We are releasing it now as a bonus episode. Although it’s a few months old now, the topic seems more relevant than ever.
- How do we live authentically with integrity when it means we do so alone?
- How do we face isolation?
- Wh...
Elliott recently shared some of psychiatrist Dr. William Glasser’s work with Karin. Karin hadn’t researched his work in a long time, and it immediately resonated with her and the times we are living in. Dr. Glasser developed Reality Therapy and Choice Theory and was very critical of traditional therapy modalities of his time.
In this episode, we explore these themes and how we can see them through a Biblical lens. Elliott relates th...
After a variety of counseling sessions that revolved around similar themes Karin and Elliott dive into the topic of control. What do we do when our world around us feels chaotic and anxious? How do we deal with being misunderstood and mistreated? What’s the antidote to trying to control the people and situations in our lives? Where is God in the midst of anxiety and fears?
Karin and Elliott share their strategies, re-frames, and wea...
Today we have the pleasure of hosting Love & Life favorite David Wayne to discuss the intersection of faith, mental health, and the devastating ways Big Pharma impacts those seeking help. We discuss the spiritual awakening that many have experienced over the last 5 years, the challenges of navigating the mental health system, and the importance of emotional connection and self-empowerment in recovery.
* The mental health system...
Jennifer Sey, CEO of XX-XY Athletics has proclaimed October 10th (X X) as Real Women’s Day.
We at Love & Life are here for it!Jennifer encourages us to speak out—to be bold in our support and protection of women and girls.
I have purchased several T-shirts from XX-XY Athletics. The statements on the shirts are logical and reasonable, yet at this chaotic time, they are often perceived as controversial by many people.
I wear them t...
Elliott and I have recently talked about pain and grief around the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The horror and fury of losing a Godly leader are bad enough. The shocking reality that some people celebrated his murder heaps additional sorrow on those in mourning. (For more on this, please see ep. 372).
At the same time, God continues to redeem and bring glory to even the most hideous of circumstances. A spiritual fire has awakened ...
I’m still somewhat in shock. I NEVER thought I’d hear America’s most powerful leaders acknowledge what mothers of autistic children have known for years—the autism epidemic has nothing to do with genes and EVERYTHING to do with toxic and pharmaceutical exposures.
Including vaccines.
And yes, in the press conference, Trump initially mentioned Tylenol and the fact that taking it during pregnancy leads to an increased risk of a future d...
As we continue to mourn the murder of Charlie Kirk and reflect on his legacy, Karin shares her personal experience attending Charlie’s memorial service this past Sunday. She describes what she witnessed firsthand and the impact it had on her and those she attended with. Karin and Elliott also delve into the significance of forgiveness, healing, and confronting anger in the process of grieving while also addressing the criticisms an...
I’ve been thinking a lot about friendships in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Especially because, as we’ve talked about before on the program, many friendships have become strained in these highly charged times.
So when you admire a prominent figure who takes a stand politically, you can be certain friends who vote in the other direction will not only NOT admire him, they may actually despise him.
And, should he be murder...
How do we move through the shock and grief of murder?
We’re horrified, outraged, and demoralized. Nothing makes sense.
WHY, God?
And furthermore, Charlie was gunned down for inviting others to debate him at universities. Aren’t universities designed for spirited discourse? When we disagree, isn’t the solution to continue sharpening our positions, as opposed to silencing counter-arguments?
Elliott and I respond to Charlie’s murder by s...
We continue our conversation today discussing some of the issues we find in the therapy profession and the impact it has on individuals seeking help.
Specifically, we explore:
• What is Big Therapy?
• The Problem with Codependency in Therapeutic Relationships
• Mental Health Awareness and Its Implications
• How to Frame Mental Health Positively
• The Dangers of AI in Therapy
• And More!
We want to empower individuals to mak...
Therapy is a powerful tool that aids us in navigating complex issues, pain, trauma, and anxieties that are inherent to the human experience. The concept of seeing a therapist or a “shrink” was once considered taboo but has now become widely accepted in our culture as a normal response to challenging situations.
However, as with many aspects of life, the shift towards acceptance can sometimes lead to overemphasis. Ironically, we ...
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